CLIMATE-INDUCED MIGRATION AS A NEW GLOBAL INEQUALITY
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Abstract
This study highlights climate-induced migration to be a driver of global inequality, disproportionately impacting the vulnerable regions of the Global south least responsible in the crises. Analysis of Bangladesh, Tuvalu, and the Sahel shows how environmental pressures like floods and desertification interact with socio-economic disparities, and historical injustices. This research finds that structural inequalities, and limited legal protection as 1951 Refugee Convention does not recognize “Climate migrants”, adds to the crisis. Critiquing the framing of migrants as threats, study recommends rights-based policies that promote mobility, and inclusion. It recommends integrating climate mobility within national adaptation plan, creating updated legal frameworks sensitive to local knowledge, and ensuring high-emitting nations provide financial and technological support. Finally, this study also touches upon the ethical responsibility which is crucial in designing future policies, being more attentive to shift from border patrolling and restricting the movement to cooperative, human-sensitive and rights-based solutions.
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